Currently there are many solar panel support structure rotating and support mechanisms, both solar collectors and photovoltaic cells being understood as solar panels.
Among the most well known and widely used rotating mechanisms are those which allow moving on two axes: the rotational movement of the solar panels on a vertical axis, resulting in an azimuth movement, and the rotational movement on a horizontal axis resulting in a lifting and lowering movement which is also called zenith movement.
There are some hydraulic oil-driven rotating mechanisms for solar trackers comprising three cylinders for achieving the movement in two axes, the azimuth and zenith movement, of the solar panels contained in a structural support, such as that disclosed by EP1213427 which discloses a mechanism with a U-shaped structure attached to the panel support structure making up a parallelepiped, with a ball joint at each attachment point and two hydraulic cylinders attached at both ends to the parallelepiped, and a friction bushing or bearing for rotating the assembly about an attachment shaft for attachment to the V-shaped section responsible for the azimuth movement together with a hydraulic cylinder.
Another mechanism of those mentioned above is that disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 612,306, which provides a platform for the azimuth movement comprising a framework having four beams inside of which there are located two pivoting hydraulic cylinders connected to two of the corners of the framework, or by ES2322527 which discloses a mechanism of those mentioned above, in which the zenith movement is achieved by driving a pair of hydraulic cylinders, and the azimuth movement is achieved by rotating a ring, driven by a hydraulic motor, attached to a horizontal frame supporting, by means of a plurality of hinges, the solar panel support structure which rotates on a second ring provided with mooring pins.
However, these mechanisms are not compact and they considerably increase the weight of the tracker or system on which they act.